asoftbird's recent activity

  1. Comment on Blocking users in ~tildes

    asoftbird
    Link Parent
    I still want to read related posts that criticize it, just not anything pro-nft (hence blocking users).

    I still want to read related posts that criticize it, just not anything pro-nft (hence blocking users).

    7 votes
  2. Comment on Windows 11 blocks Edge browser competitors from opening links in ~tech

    asoftbird
    Link
    Looks like 10 is going to be my last windows.

    Looks like 10 is going to be my last windows.

    10 votes
  3. Comment on Forget tulips and windmills, the Netherlands is the dirty old man of Europe in ~misc

    asoftbird
    Link Parent
    "It doesn't suck for you because for us it sucks more". Thanks. The entire political system is fucking useless. 20% is racists, 70% is neoliberals that are technically of different...

    "It doesn't suck for you because for us it sucks more". Thanks.

    The entire political system is fucking useless. 20% is racists, 70% is neoliberals that are technically of different right/leftwinged parties but practically are all the same. There's only one party that even tries to does anything for human right and it's shoved aside as irrelevant most of the time.

    And it's not just the energy sector, it's everything. But l guess the problems aren't relevant as the US is already having them which invalidates us having them as well.

    3 votes
  4. Comment on Forget tulips and windmills, the Netherlands is the dirty old man of Europe in ~misc

    asoftbird
    Link
    Not sure if this fits here; this is about current major events going on in the Netherlands. If you're buying into the "wow such a cool and progressive country": congrats, you're not immune to...

    Not sure if this fits here; this is about current major events going on in the Netherlands.

    If you're buying into the "wow such a cool and progressive country": congrats, you're not immune to propaganda & l'd highly urge you to read this article.

    5 votes
  5. Comment on Imgur has been acquired by MediaLab (owner of Whisper, Kik, WorldStarHipHop, Amino, Genius, etc.) in ~tech

    asoftbird
    Link
    Wonder if they can still make it worse than it currently is, that website is plain unusable the way it is currently. Error pages everywhere.

    Wonder if they can still make it worse than it currently is, that website is plain unusable the way it is currently. Error pages everywhere.

    4 votes
  6. Comment on What's a hidden health issue you live with? in ~health

    asoftbird
    Link Parent
    Certain drugs can also cause really bad interactions with antidepressants, so check if your meds are compatible!

    Certain drugs can also cause really bad interactions with antidepressants, so check if your meds are compatible!

    7 votes
  7. Comment on Is a massage gun worth getting? in ~health

    asoftbird
    Link
    I'm using a magic wand-styled vibrating device, originally intended for other purposes but it's very effective at dealing with muscle aches and tight spots. Not entirely the device you asked...

    I'm using a magic wand-styled vibrating device, originally intended for other purposes but it's very effective at dealing with muscle aches and tight spots. Not entirely the device you asked about, but just providing an alternate perspective (probably a lot cheaper, too!)

    6 votes
  8. Comment on Twitter’s new font and The Last of Us Part II: An accessibility lesson to be learned in ~design

    asoftbird
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    It's interesting as it's nearly the same font as they used to have, but changed to make it their own. But they messed up somewhere and 1. made it hard to read and 2. used it in the body text...

    It's interesting as it's nearly the same font as they used to have, but changed to make it their own. But they messed up somewhere and 1. made it hard to read and 2. used it in the body text instead of just headings.

    And speaking of high contrast: for me that makes text look blurry, especially with sharp white text on a black background. Light gray on dark gray works fine, increase the contrast and suddenly l can't see a thing.

    The most jarring change is the follow/unfollow button: who the hell thinks it's a good idea to suddenly just invert the behavior of a common function??

    And finally: accessibility is for everyone. You don't have to be impaired to benefit from accessibility functions.

    3 votes
  9. Comment on Adios - A cinematic narrative adventure l loved (+giveaway!) in ~games

    asoftbird
    Link Parent
    (oops, fell asleep earlier than expected, will send them out asap)

    (oops, fell asleep earlier than expected, will send them out asap)

    1 vote
  10. Comment on Adios - A cinematic narrative adventure l loved (+giveaway!) in ~games

    asoftbird
    (edited )
    Link
    I just played this game and l liked it a lot, so l figured l'd share it! (content warning for death/loss) The premise: you're a pig farmer in Kansas, partnered up with an old friend who's a...

    I just played this game and l liked it a lot, so l figured l'd share it!

    (content warning for death/loss)

    The premise: you're a pig farmer in Kansas, partnered up with an old friend who's a hitman, who you're helping dispose of the bodies. You've done it long enough and want to quit.
    Adios will take you through the life of you, the farmer, talking about memories and loved ones. You know how this will end.

    It's got a very compelling but heavy story, dealing with loss, grief, letting go & accepting that some things can never be forgiven. It honestly hit me like a truck & had to go lie down for a bit, and it's still on my mind.
    Adios isn't your typical fun game, it's really more like an interactive drama movie, just like Firewatch.

    It's got very plausible voice acting (fluid, natural) and an immersive world with great narrative and sound design.
    Adios isn't a very long game (averages 1.5 hours) but its quality content more than makes up for it, and l'd buy it twice if l could.

    In fact, l can! To support the developer & because l loved the game and think it deserves more eyes, l'll be giving away 2 copies of Adios in 24 hours (steam keys). Reply to this thread to enter; l'll pick two names tomorrow.

    If you end up getting a copy (either through me or by buying it yourself), l'd love to hear what you think!

    edit: gifts were sent out!

    7 votes
  11. Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music

    asoftbird
    Link
    Finsterforst's Zerfall. This is a "blackened pagan metal" gem I found a few weeks ago on AngryMetalGuy. Most bands of this style either have good production, or good vocals / music, but never all...

    Finsterforst's Zerfall.

    This is a "blackened pagan metal" gem I found a few weeks ago on AngryMetalGuy.
    Most bands of this style either have good production, or good vocals / music, but never all three at the same time. There's two exceptions: Moonsorrow, and Finsterforst. The former has been a long-time favorite and I've never found a worthy companion to that band with its unique style of long-winded, heavy and melancholic soundscapes with stellar production. And then there was Finsterforst. I've been listening it a lot lately, don't know it really well yet but that's just a matter of time. The production quality isn't as great as Moonsorrow, but that's just a completely different level, and I'm happy at least one band seems to understand that black(ened) metal can benefit from not being recorded on a toaster.
    Really great music to lose yourself in, while lying on bed listening or for long car drives.

    1 vote
  12. Comment on What do you like and dislike about your chosen music service(s)? in ~music

    asoftbird
    Link
    I've been using Tidal from the times where Spotify didn't have hifi audio yet. I'm also on a family plan with friends which makes the costs doable, as (at the time), $35/month for hifi audio would...

    I've been using Tidal from the times where Spotify didn't have hifi audio yet. I'm also on a family plan with friends which makes the costs doable, as (at the time), $35/month for hifi audio would absolutely be too much.
    Before that, used spotify, and before that, files.
    Tidal isn't too bad and generally comparable to Spotify; it doesn't have everything and it occassionally has server issues, but overall I'm happy with the client. Maybe Spotify is a better option at this point, but I don't think it's worth the hassle of converting playlists and moving everything over.
    One major issues is that on Tidal, bands with the same name can't exist, so for example the Finnish (cheesy but guilty pleasure) folk metal band Shaman also displays albums by other bands called Shaman on its pages, which makes finding albums cumbersome sometimes. Sometimes albums have typos in song titles all over the place too, which is annoying but otherwise not really important.

    Lately I'm moving back to local files though, as I like owning my music, especially since a lot of it isn't available on Tidal or in some cases not available for streaming at all. This includes Bandcamp downloads, using good ol' Windows MediaPlayer, which is just good at what it does and plays any file I throw at it. Alternatively, MusicBee seems to be a decent music player (free, closed source) which I might end up using when MediaPlayer ends up breaking eventually (knowing microsofts track record).

    I'm also looking into setting up a Plex-based fileserver to stream music with, which is basically a self-hosted streaming service, which allows you to listen to your local files from anywhere with an internet connection.

    5 votes
  13. Comment on You really need to quit Twitter in ~tech

    asoftbird
    Link
    Depends on what you do on the platform. All l do is post birds, talk about developing my bird bots & art, and socialize with friends. Most news related words are muted; l don't follow any news...

    Depends on what you do on the platform. All l do is post birds, talk about developing my bird bots & art, and socialize with friends. Most news related words are muted; l don't follow any news accounts either.
    For me Twitter is just a place full of cool art, birds and people to talk with. l met most of my current online friends on twitter!

    Effectively, if you curate your spaces (which is easy on twitter due to its muted word system) you can tailor the website to your needs.

    9 votes
  14. Comment on I touched the world's most painful plant - Gympie gympie (the suicide plant) in ~science

    asoftbird
    Link
    ah yes, the backyard "usually has a really bad sense of PPE usage" scientist; whacking that one bad plant with a knife & using an angle grinder to cut it up into fine dust and spread it across the...

    ah yes, the backyard "usually has a really bad sense of PPE usage" scientist; whacking that one bad plant with a knife & using an angle grinder to cut it up into fine dust and spread it across the garden, now that is a great idea.

    8 votes
  15. Comment on How do you actually meditate? in ~talk

    asoftbird
    (edited )
    Link
    I practise very simple meditations that are somewhere inbetween a nap and meditating. I lie down on/in bed, on my side, close my eyes and try not to move at all. Ignore all itches and...

    I practise very simple meditations that are somewhere inbetween a nap and meditating.

    I lie down on/in bed, on my side, close my eyes and try not to move at all. Ignore all itches and distractions. After a while some kind of semi sleep paralysis sets in and it takes more effort to move + you stop feeling itches which is nice.

    It's pretty much just like sleeping, except l'm awake. Since l'm also more easily able to visualize my thoughts l often use this to tackle creative/visual problems, since you can just think of a banana and see it in your mind with ease.

    And re:swallowing; l've noticed that reflexes take over, don't even have to do it consciously. Breathing goes manually though.

    3 votes
  16. Comment on Why 10,000 volts at altitude is a bad idea in ~science

    asoftbird
    Link Parent
    That stuff would offgas a lot in the high vacuum of the scope and would probably ruin the performance.

    I suppose filling the spaces in the unit with an insulating spray foam probably wouldn't be good for its performance.

    That stuff would offgas a lot in the high vacuum of the scope and would probably ruin the performance.

    1 vote
  17. Comment on Discord celebrates six years, changes logo and font in ~design

    asoftbird
    Link
    The new color is so jarring when used in the interface of the app. Color contrast is way too high and therefore it's more of a distracting highlight instead of a subtle highlight as it should be....

    The new color is so jarring when used in the interface of the app. Color contrast is way too high and therefore it's more of a distracting highlight instead of a subtle highlight as it should be.

    Also, that intense purple color is used as a background for comparatively thin white text, which means the letters get blurry and l can't read it without eyestrain.

    And the font makes me feel like l'm dyslexic where the letters start to move around as l read it. Hope they won't be using that anywhere in the app itself.

    2 votes